Hurtful & Helpless
by Yumeshojo
Summary: When Yuzawa transfers to a new school due to her bad record, she doesn't expect much. So when she finds the Sacrifice for another unit is her dimwitted teacher, she decides to protect him. OCXOC sorta Main chars do make appearances sometimes...
1. Hurtful

_I'm not really a fan of boys' love, but I love the series Loveless by Yun Kouga. It has such a cool storyline, intriguing characters, and very little actual bl scenes. And the main character has cat ears! In the very first chapter of the series, on a random page, in a very small corner, there is a single picture of a small group of the main character's teachers - most of which have no faces. I stole 'Asagi Shiro' from that young, faceless teacher. This story is completely strait, by the way. Expect Ritsuka and Soubi to make random appearances, but not be extremely prominent. Rating for...weird situations in later chapters. Not exactly sexual, but...er, invasions of personal space?_

Note: Names are done Japanese style, as in sirname first, then given name.

**Disclaimer: I doth dis/the claiming of this/a story I wrote/tho characters I don't/and thus I say/to end this way/DON'T BE RETARDED, I OBLIVIOUSLY DON'T OWN ANYTHING! *runs away sobbing at your insensitivity* (and I will not be putting this disclaimer in every chapter, because if I didn't own the series in the first chapter, I obviously didn't gain the rights to it later. And if I did, I'd let you know. But since that's never going to happen...Oh, I do own my OCs. Not that that is a big deal *shrugs* I'm going to shut up now)  


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It wasn't as though Asagi Shiro didn't have enough problems on his plate. At twenty four, he still had his ears - more because he had spent his teen years with his head in books than anything else. He was the second youngest teacher at the high school he taught at, and because Shinonome was younger than him was the only reason he wasn't the one that was teased. She was instead. Most of the time. But his students still took shots at him regularly. He wasn't respected at all. While he wasn't as timid as Shinonome, his chidings never seemed to have any affect, no matter how angry or serious he was. But he never gave up trying.

Higushi Mitsuko was another problem in his life. She was a very attractive woman with a centerfold body and an attitude that told everyone she knew it. She taught in the elementary, so he didn't have to deal with her often, but when he did... Higushi had made it her new goal to steal away Shiro's ears by the end of the year, and she didn't care who knew it. Frankly, the woman terrified Shiro. He didn't want to lose his ears to a woman like _her_.

Like teaching eighth graders wasn't hard enough.

And now, he had a new student transferring in today. And she was late.

Yuzawa Kanna had been expelled from her old school for violent tendencies, blatant disregard for authority figures, continual absences with no explanation, and body markings against school regulations. Yuzawa had been in more fights than the school had cared to count, never did what she was told, skipped whenever she seemed to feel like it, and had three piercings in each ear and a tattoo on her left arm. Basically, a delinquent - who just so happened to make strait A's if she ever cared to be in class for assignments.

A paperwad hit Shiro in the head, and he sighed to himself in aggravation. "Ok, who threw that?"

The class mostly just laughed at him. Thankfully, the door opened at that moment. Not so thankfully, it was Yuzawa Kanna who stepped into the room.

At least the whole class was quiet now.

Yuzawa had her orange hair cut boy short, bouncing idley around the tips of her ears - which had the reported earrings in, one on the tops, centers, and bottoms. She was chewing bubble gum and wearing a uniform - apparently from her old school - that had the sleeves torn off, revealing her tattoo - one that shocked Shiro instantly.

Down her arm, from the shoulder to the elbow, was a word. Like someone had carved it there with a knife, it jaggedly read 'Hurtful.'

Her brown eyes lazily scanned the room, and her gaze settled on Shiro. "Asagi-sensei."

"You're late, Yuzawa-kun." He tried to sound annoyed, but even he could hear the faint awe in what he'd said. She had definitely unnerved him in more ways then one - and she'd called him sensei. "Please introduce yourself to the class."

Her eyes narrowed at him momentarily, and he thought there was going to be trouble immediately, but instead Yuzawa shrugged and turned to the rest of the room.

"I'm Yuzawa. Only Yuzawa. If anyone tries to call me anything else I'll chunk them out a window." She popped a bubble during the silence, making a few girls jump. "I may be in the eighth grade with you munchkins, but that's only because I didn't care enough to make an effort to pass last year. I'm fifteen, so don't try to be my friend. I'm not interested."

The classful of students shuffled nervously in their seats.

Yuzawa continued without taking notice. "No one had better comment on my arm, got it? Don't ask about, don't mention it, don't stare at it, understand?"

While Yuzawa's words had been calm and simply stated, the whole room replied with a scared "Yes!" to her question.

"Good. Now, since it upset my parents that I failed last year, and they're the only living beings I give a crap about on this stupid planet, I'm gonna pass this year. I'm on probation, though, because a sissy at my old school couldn't take a beating that he'd practically begged for, so none of you had better hinder my education with your stupidity in any way, got that?"

Another unison of "Yes!" erupted through the room, and Yuzawa nodded in approval. "Ok. Then we shouldn't have any problems here. You." She pointed across the room at a boy seated on the very last row, very last desk closest to the window. He went stock still. "Get up. I want that seat."

He moved so fast he was almost a blur. Then, Yuzawa took a seat in his place, tail curling behind her contently. Her cat ears lay flat when she yawned, then sprung back up easily. She nodded up at Shiro. "Sorry I was late, by the way. Did I miss anything?"

Not sure if he should be afraid, annoyed, or amused, Shiro only shook his head.


	2. Backslide

It didn't take but a week for Yuzawa to have her first backslide. She was more angry at herself than anyone else, but she was already warming up to Asagi-sensei. While most of the students refused to call him anything but Shiro - something he obviously wasn't comfortable with - Yuzawa was becoming more and more determined to change that. To change a lot of things in her class room, as a matter of fact. But the catalyst, of course, had been the teasing.

First, it was directed at Asagi-sensei. The class pretty much ignored Yuzawa's existence, something she had been grateful for, until...

"Why is Shiro teaching us about human anatomy when he obviously doesn't know a thing about it himself?" one of the boys chided.

The class giggled.

"Yeah." Another had replied, grinning. "Shiro, when you know more about the subject than we do, then you can teach us."

The new boy who'd spoken up didn't have his ears. And eighth grader with no ears. The very thought made Yuzawa queasy. Asagi-sensei was scarlet.

"Class, please. That is not the focus of our lesson today, we're talking about the digestive sys-"

"Why do you still have your ears, Shiro?" a girl piped up - also missing her cat-like features. "You're pretty cute, you know."

A few girls giggled while most of the guys rolled their eyes, but kept grinning.

Asagi-sensei took a second to compose himself. This was obviously a question he got asked every year, but it never got any easier on him. "My choices are mine to make, and I am not the subject of this classroom. Now, the stomach-"

Yuzawa had to admire his determination to get back on subject, but it wasn't working. Students kept interrupting him.

"I heard Mitsuko-chan was interested in educating you." This boy looked envious. "I'd take her up on the offer in a heart beat, man."

Almost every boy in the room nodded in assent.

"Please, back to the lesson!" Asagi-sensei was no longer being listened to - if he ever had been in the first place, that is.

"Shiro, if you ain't interested in Mitsuko-chan, you must be sitting on the wrong side of the fence."

Again, this was obviously a confrontation Asagi-sensei had faced before - but didn't make any easier to respond to. "As much as my preferences aren't any of your business, I assure you I am on the normal 'side of the fence.' Now, if we can go back to-"

"Then why won't you let Mitsuko-chan have you?"

"That is not any of your business. Now, here we have-"

"You have to be gay not to want that."

"I'm not. Continuing-"

"Maybe he doesn't like them older, you think?"

"Gross. You're not suggesting he likes them _young, _are you?"

"Is that why Shiro's a virgin middle school teacher?!"

"Class, please!"

The speculating was already out of Sensei's control, that much was obvious. Yuzawa couldn't take it anymore.

"You brats are so frickin childish."

The whole room went quiet, even though Yuzawa hadn't raised her voice.

"Would you shove it? Sensei's life isn't on a slide for you to put under a microscope. Mind your own business. I'd like to get back on subject."

Things looked like they were going the way she wanted, until a boy's whisper carried across the dead silent room: "I bet she's just touchy about the subject cause she's older than us and still got her ears."

Yuzawa was standing in a heart beat. "Who said that?"

No one volunteered to having been the source of that tidbit of information. "My ears are my business, Sensei's ears are his business," Yuzawa's voice was low and slow, speaking very clearly. "And you sluts can do whatever you want with your's. Our choice not to become loose trash is ours to make, so shut your filthy mouths, you child-whores."

One girl stood up shakingly but determinedly, with no ears and a mini skirt. "Y-you can't talk to us like that!"

Yuzawa glared, raising her head to look down on her. "Watch me, slut."


	3. Authority

Yuzawa was seated in front of Shiro's desk, looking for all the world like she didn't have the slightest clue why she was there. Shiro sighed. "Yuzawa-kun, you should know better."

She shrugged. "Yeah, and I do. But they were being so stupid!"

Shiro silently agreed. "That doesn't give you the right to do what you did."

"Then you should have stopped me." She said simply, locking eyes with him. "I'd have listened to you."

This shocked Shiro for a second; none of his students listened to him. Ever.

"If you'd kept your class under control in the first place, then I never would have flown off the handle."

It wasn't an accusation, just a statement, but it still hit home hard for Shiro.

"Hey, I'm not blaming you, Sensei. I'm just saying it like it is. You need to control your classroom, and that's all there is to it. You can't let a bunch of thirteen and fourteen year olds treat you like that. They'll never respect you."

He knew that. Gosh darn it all, _he knew that._ He didn't need her to tell him. His problem was, he could never get that control, no matter how hard he tried!

After a moment, Shiro noticed the irony of him getting lectured by her when he was supposed to be punishing her for fighting with the other kids.

It was a boy who'd thrown the first punch after Yuzawa's goading. But after that, almost every student had ganged up on her. And she'd beat them. All of them. They had to end class early so they could all go to the nurse's office. Yuzawa barely had a scratch.

She seemed to read the look on his face pretty easily, and grinned. "Just administering the discipline you weren't, Sensei."

_At least she calls me Sensei. _Shiro's face sunk. "I just don't know...how. I try, you saw me try!"

Yuzawa nodded. "Yeah. Didn't do much good though, did it?"

He flinched.

"I'm not trying to be mean, Sensei, but unless you show them that you mean business big time, they aren't going to listen. You've already lost all respect in their eyes. You're just a fun toy."

He nodded. He'd known that, too.

"You need to start punishing instead of freezing up when things get out of hand. I saw you up there, looking grief-stricken, trying to think of what to do. Stop thinking about it, and just do it. Send kids out into the hall to hold buckets of water - and if they refuse, as they most likely will in the beginning, then dump the water on their heads and send them out to refill it. Blame the mess on them for not doing as told. Be firm. Know you have the authority no matter how they back talk. If you know it yourself, they'll see it in you."

Shiro was watching Yuzawa with rapt attention, soaking up every word. "And you know this..."

"Because I use it everyday. Beside having the muscle to back it up, with every fiber of my being - how I carry myself, my tone of voice, every calculated word, every look or gesture - I radiate authority. This class is so used to there being no authority or being able to break authority, they thought I'd be the same, and tried to defy me - and they lost. Now, if you start demonstrating that same authority, they're going to try to break you again. Because they've done it before and think they know you. Because they're angry they lost to me. Because they want to live the illusion that they are the ones with authority, and not the children they are. That's why they do this - and you're making it too easy. Take back what's yours."

"Is that why...is that why you call me 'Sensei?'"

She nodded. "By showing that I respect you, I show them where the real authority lies. I'm higher up than them, yet I submit to you. That puts you at the top of the totem pole, so to speak." Yuzawa's eyes were sharp and still held Shiro's gaze with a dark intensity. "I will do as you say. No matter what it is, I will obey your authority. If you told me to jump from the roof, I'd do it without a second's hesitation. I'd probably grab a few ledges to slow the fall and drop through a tree to cushion the landing, but I would jump none the less. Know you have that power over me - and feel free to use it. Demonstrate your authority. Show them that I'm stronger than them, yet completely under your control - like a dog. Like I'm your dog."

Shiro was trapped in between shock and awe - because he believed Yuzawa's every word.

"But you can't use me to administer your authority." She added suddenly, snapping Shiro out of his trance. "Because that would make this about me, and not you. It would be because I'm here, and that I obey you, and not because you are the man in charge. Once I move up a grade, you'd be fish bait again. No respect."

"I understand." The words surprised Shiro, but he was confident in them. Yes, he understood now. He thought he had before, but he'd missed so much. Now he really understood. But understanding changed nothing unless he could put it all into practice.

While he mused on this, Yuzawa stood and headed towards the door - and her visible tattoo caught Shiro's eye once more.

"Um, Yuzawa-kun?"

She stopped, hand stretched towards the door, and turned her head to him. "Yes, Sensei?"

"I know you told us not to, but...can I ask you a question? About...your tattoo?"


	4. Helpless

Yuzawa glared across the floor at Shiro, and he visibly flinched, but she didn't seem to notice. After a moment, she rolled her eyes. "It's not a tattoo - I keep telling my schools that, but none of them believe me. I told them to check the birth records. It's recorded there as an abnormality - my parents will vouch for it."

Shiro blinked. "You're saying that that's...a birthmark?"

"Believe it or not, yeah, it is." She shrugged. "My parents both have one too. Theirs are the exact same word, written the exact same way, in the exact same place on eachother. They're 'Guided.' Their marks are around their ankles, though."

After a silent moment, Shiro spoke slowly. "Mine's...on my abdomen."

Yuzawa's eyes grew wide, and she turned all the way around, letting her hand drop back to her side. "You have another name, too?"

"Is that what you call it, your other name?" Shiro tried to look interested, but his eyes betrayed his uneasiness.

"Ah. You'd get fired if they knew - or thought they knew - you had a 'tattoo.'"

"Yes."

"What does it say?"

Shiro laughed hollowly. "'Helpless.'"

"Ouch." Yuzawa cringed. "That explains a lot."

"How so?"

Yuzawa half sat on the edge of Shiro's desk and tilted her head to the side. She looked thoughtful and, oddly enough, kinda cute. Shiro suddenly realized what it was that was different about her than usual - it was like she'd said. Everything she did, the way she moved, her tone of voice, her expressions - all of them were carefully calculated to 'radiate authority,' as she had put it. And right now, she was doing none of that. With him, she was completely natural.

And she was surprisingly cute.

Her words broke him out of his own disturbing thoughts. "Well, our names are supposed to reflect something about us. My parents are 'Guided' - no matter what they do, they always seem to know what they're doing. Things just work out for them. I'm 'Hurtful.' I hurt people. With actions, with words, whatever. Unless I watch myself, I hurt people."

"But that could be interpreted differently." Shiro shook his head, not realizing he had said that aloud until she gave him an odd look. "I mean, 'Hurtful' could also mean 'full of hurt' not just in that you hurt others, but you being hurt yourself."

Slowly, a smile spread across Yuzawa's face. "My parents told me that once. I'd been afraid I'd hurt them too, and I'd run away. But, of course," she laughed, her face bunching up in a childish way. "They found me. But I've never forgotten that, and they stand by it."

"I can see why." Yuzawa turned to him, and he smiled. "You're a good kid."

Her face was completely open, and completely honest. Shock, then the softest smile Shiro had ever seen. "Thanks, Sensei."

And, for a flash of a second, Shiro thought that her sitting like that - on the edge of his desk, legs crossed, and that innocent smile - was sexier than any provocative pose that Higushi Mitsuko had ever tried to tempt him with.

Oblivious to her teacher's sudden fit of self loathing, Yuzawa piped up, grinning. "You know, 'Helpless' could be the same way. Instead of 'unable to be helped' it could be 'not needing help.' I know it's not the official use of the term, but you could see it like that."

Fighting down his blush, Shiro nodded. "It could, but I think my reputation speaks for itself."

Yuzawa laughed, hopping down from Shiro's desk. "Maybe so - for now. But we're gonna fix that, aren't we, Sensei?"

She winked at him confidently and Shiro felt himself smile back.


	5. Taking Control

It was time. Shiro glanced across the room to Yuzawa, but he hadn't needed to. He already knew what had to be done. She only gave him a look as if to say 'I'm waiting.' And he nodded, let out a sigh, and firmed his features.

"Shut up."

His words cut through the chatter as all the students turned to look at him. Because Shiro didn't talk like that. Shiro didn't use harsh words. And Shiro definitely didn't use that tone of voice - one that clearly expressed a superior attitude along with exasperation.

A boy near the middle of the room blinked, then laughed. "No way. You didn't just tell _us_ to shut up, right Shiro?"

"I did, but apparently you're too dumb to understand what it meant because you're still talking."

Now Yuzawa could feel a grin coming on, but forced it back. Shiro was standing tall at the front of the room, looking - for once - like he was truly a teacher; though his manners were questionable in that department. But if anyone tried to report him, the principle would laugh and not believe them. After all, there was no way that timid, 'helpless' Shiro would behave as he was obviously preparing to do. Yuzawa gave up trying to hide the grin.

The boy looked shocked, then angry. "Y-you can't call me stupid!"

"I just did. Are you deaf, too? Or are you planning on stopping me? Well? Let's see it, then."

Inside, Shiro was holding down the bile that wanted to climb up his throat. He felt like a horrible person, but he kept his cool. He was acting, that's all. That's what he kept telling himself. An actor.

In his mind the night before, he'd made the character he'd play. He made 'Asagi-sensei' the way he needed him to be. He rehearsed predictable lines he might need to use - referencing a few corny old movies in the process. He could do this. An act. Playing a part. That was all. He wasn't really a bad person. But he needed 'Asagi-sensei' to reestablish authority for him.

Like Jekyll and Hyde.

Kuro. He'd call him Asagi Kuro. Because he was Shiro - white. So this new character he would play would be Kuro - black.

A girl spoke up this time, looking incredulous. "What on _earth_ has gotten into you, Shiro?"

He folded his arms across his chest and raised his head. "Asagi-sensei. You will address me properly or you will not speak at all, any of you. Is that clear?"

One of the leaders of the class - an earless punk of a boy - grinned and chuckled. "You think you can suddenly grow a back bone and start barking orders, Shiro? It don't work li-"

"You will not speak unless I call on you, Harumori-kun." Shiro cut him off, glaring at him. "And you will address me as Sensei. I will not say it again."

"Or what?" he snorted. "What could you possibly do? Come on - you're _Shiro._"

Shiro's eyes narrowed dangerously. Behind his desk, his legs were shaking. He didn't even know if he could speak again, his throat seemed to swell shut. But this isn't how Kuro would act. The show must continue. He had to play the part all the way. _He_ _had to._

Yuzawa was watching.

...Yuzawa! She'd told him what to do in a time like this the day before: _"Send kids out into the hall to hold buckets of water."_

"In the hall. Now."

Harumori propped his feet up on his desk, kicking back. "Make me, sissy-sensei."

It didn't take three seconds for 'Kuro's' mind to form exactly what needed to be done here. He stepped from behind his desk and marched over to Harumori. He smiled at him, making the boy look quizzical. Then he kicked his desk completely over, sprawling him onto the floor with a load thud.

The whole room gasped.

Yuzawa, still in her seat, was giddy with pride.

Harumori was rubbing his head when Shiro gave him a not too gentle kick in the side. "Hall. Now."

In complete shock, the boy just stared at him. "B-but! But you c-can't d-do that to a student!"

"Watch me." Shiro kicked him again, a bit harder this time. "Now, get up. I believe I already told you where to go."

Silent, Harumori left the room and Shiro followed - presumable to fetch water buckets, Yuzawa mused.

".Gosh." The girl who sat behind Harumori whispered. "Shiro's _snapped_."


	6. Impressed

After class, Shiro found himself seated behind his desk, head in his hands, staring in shock at nothing in particular. "I'm going to be _fired._"

"You are not." Yuzawa rolled her eyes, propping herself, once again, on the corner of Shiro's desk. "I don't care if the whole class rats on you, no one will believe them. Especially with me vouching for you."

"Yeah, your word is real reliable." As soon as the sentence was out of his mouth, Shiro had his hand clamped over his lips. His eyes shot strait to Yuzawa, apology lining every glimmer.

She only chuckled, her face soft like it had been the day before. Oddly, it made her look older - more mature, was probably a better way of putting it. Not a punk teenager laughing at her loser of a teacher - a young woman admiring a shy man's unintentional humor. "Still in power mode, Sensei?"

Shiro gave a half hearted nod to the side, letting his hands drops as he sighed lightly. "A part. Just a part. A role in a play."

Yuzawa's face rose, then she smiled. "Ah. So that's how you made the change so quick. And here I was expecting to have to coach you through this for weeks! Darn, my plans are blown! Now what am I supposed to do with my free afternoons?"

Surprisingly, she looked seriously dejected at this. Shiro tilted his head, trying to beat back the same voice in his head asking if she had really been looking forward to spending time with him. "There some reason you don't want to be home?"

Yuzawa only shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I'm kinda sick of being around my lovey-dovey parents, but mostly I just like being out. And with plans, I'm far less likely to get into trouble." Yuzawa's face brightened as she smiled down at Shiro's blank expression. "Especially if I'm with Sensei."

Face growing hot, Shiro tried to deter this line of conversation. "Well, you could be my teacher's aid. Stay after class, do paperwork. You know, grading, filing, stuff like that."

"Sounds boring and time consuming." Yuzawa stared at the ceiling for a moment, then turned back with a grin. "Count me in." Suddenly, Yuzawa's grin was gone. She abruptly pushed herself off Shiro's desk and stepped away, opting to lean against the blackboard.

Just then, the door slid open with a clang to reveal Higushi Mitsuko, strutting her stuff like a hooker on broadway. Yuzawa's elated mood suddenly going down the crapper now made sense. Shiro's light headed mood followed.

"Shiro, you _dog_." Higushi-sensei gave him a flirtatious grin. "I heard you really laid down the law today."

While Shiro tried to put a smile in place (it came out kind of crooked), Yuzawa made no effort to hide her disgust. But Higushi seemed to completely ignore the fact that she was in the room. Instead, she sauntered right past her and pushed her oversized rear up onto the corner of Shiro's desk and winked at him coyly. "I always knew you had it in you, Shi-chan."

'I-hate-being-called-that' was written all over Shiro's lost face, and a trickle of annoyance spread through Yuzawa. Meanwhile, Shiro was once again having his mind throw him for a loop as he analyzed the supposedly sexy woman before him, sitting the exact same way that Yuzawa had moments before. Somehow, it didn't seem so...elegant now as it had with the younger girl. Now it just seemed...lewd.

"Um, thank you, Higushi-sensei-"

"Please, Shi-chan." Higushi leaned forward and tilted Shiro's head up with her two fingers. "Call me Mit-chan."

"I don't think that's appropriate, Higushi-sensei." Shiro replied, a little more strongly. He blinked slowly, and Yuzawa caught him glancing at her before his face hardened. He was going back to being 'Kuro.' It looked like this was another situation where authority was called for. "Now, if you don't need anything, Yuzawa-kun was just helping me grade some papers."

Higushi shot Yuzawa a smile. "Oh, that's alright. You can run along, Yuzawa-kun. I'll help you, _Asagi-sensei._"

By the time she'd said his name, she'd turned back to Shiro, dismissing Yuzawa easily. But something in Yuzawa was snapping slowly, she knew it. She really should leave...

Higushi's whisper into Shiro's ears carried across the room. "_She's got her ears, too. How cute. But Shiro, you don't have to be like her anymore. After what happened today, I really think it's time you became _a man_..._"

Out of the corner of her eye, Yuzawa saw Higushi's fingers run across the top of Shiro's pants, and then, slowly, slink between the fabrics...


	7. Don't Touch

A tapping sound broke Shiro's concentration away from his work. He glanced up, shocked to find Yuzawa's face staring back at him from behind the window's glass. "Sensei! Let me in!"

Bolting up clumsily, Shiro knocked his chair over as he rushed to the window. He unbolted it and slid it aside, then reached out and grabbed Yuzawa under the arms to help her from the tree and into the classroom. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be on school grounds, Yuzawa-kun - you're suspended! You're lucky you weren't expelled!"

Yuzawa shrugged, brushing the leaves from her usual uniform. "But being stuck at home is so boring. I hate it there. I'd much rather be here helping you grade, like I'm supposed to. I'm you're Teacher's Aid, remember?"

"You were _supposed to be_ my Teacher's Aid." Shiro corrected, pulling a leaf from her hair. "Until you threw Higushi-sensei to the floor and called her all those bad names!"

Yuzawa snorted. "She's lucky I didn't hit her. A lot." Yuzawa propped herself back up in what was becoming her usual spot on Shiro's desk corner after she picked his chair back up for him. "I really, _really _wanted to."

"Why?" Shiro asked stupidly, sitting again.

"Why?" Yuzawa rolled her eyes. "Well, for one thing, she's a slut-"

"I really wish you wouldn't use that kind of language." Shiro muttered.

Yuzawa paused, and Shiro looked up at her to see why she'd stopped talking. She met his eyes with an oddly serious look. "Sorry."

"T-that's alright." Shiro sputtered, confused by why he was being listened to, let alone getting an apology.

"Anyway, I don't like people like her. But I would have walked away, honestly. I thought it would be a good lesson for you. I knew you would handle it."

She spoke with such easy confidence that Shiro didn't know where she'd gotten it from. "Really? You think I could have?"

"Hm? Yeah, of course. Be firm with a woman like that and she'll have to walk away. Getting any man she wants is the only pride she's got. If you're firm, she'll get angry and storm off to think of other methods. But in the end, she only has her body, and if that won't work, she'll just spread evil rumors about you. Try to ruin your life, sure, but there's not much she can do. You'd live."

Shiro laughed awkwardly, but Yuzawa merely shrugged again. His laughter trailed off. She didn't seem to be in a very happy mood today. "What really set me off was..."

Slowly, Yuzawa finally met Shiro's gaze. "Where she was touching you. You said you're name was on your abdomen."

"Ah, that's right! I mean, it's on the other side and a...a little _lower _than that, but...yeah, about there."

"Lower?" For the first time that day, Yuzawa smiled. She even chuckled a little. "Like 'that's-why-I-still-have-my-ears' lower?"

Shiro, already glowing scarlet, went an even deeper shade of embarrassed. "No! Not that...low. Just...below the pant line. And that's not why I'm-well, you know! I mean, I've had a girlfriend or two, and I didn't want them to see but it's not like we ever talked about it or went that far but...but...well, I'm a nerd!"

Shiro bellowed that last word like a confession, and his serious face finally made Yuzawa burst out laughing. "Sorry, sensei. I'm not trying to laugh at you, but...well, you're too funny! It's really...what's the word? Cute? No, men don't like to be called cute...endearing? That's not much better is it? Honest, maybe?"

Yuzawa's laughing face was too much for Shiro, and he failed to be offended in the slightest. "Glad you're finally smiling, at least."

Yuzawa looked surprised for a moment, and then that soft look Shiro was growing used to returned. "Thanks. Today sucked. My 'rents are giving me the 'we're-dissapointed-in-you' look at every turn. I missed school. Ah, no, I take that back. I missed you. School sucks. Dumb brats. ...the word brat isn't bad, right?"

"No, brat's fine." Shiro replied, trying not to think too much into the 'I missed you' that was echoing between his (human) ears. "But why did you get so mad about her getting close to my 'other name,' as you call it?"

Yuzawa's face slipped back into its stern look, and Shiro was immediately sorry he'd asked. "Because. Touching someone's other name...it's extremely personal. You shouldn't let others do it, and others shouldn't try. Only the one who shares your name should touch you."

"The one who shares...?"

"Didn't you ever wonder, sensei? Why a child being born with a word practically etched into their skin isn't on the news? It's because it's not uncommon. It happens every day. Some are born with another name, some have it appear on them when they get older. But it's not uncommon. The doctors report it to a certain organization, who watches these children grow. If they find the one who shares there name, they bring them together to a special school. Because there's always two, sensei. Always. Somewhere out there, there's another Helpless, just like you."

"This all sounds..."

"Yeah, crazy, right? But it's true. My parents were brought together by these people and graduated from their school. They know the rules, and they taught me. Because people like us are special. But some are lucky enough to live completely oblivious to this, like you. If my parents hadn't been the same, I would have been, too. Apparently, we weren't accepted into the 'special school' or whatever. I don't care. But I do know that you shouldn't let someone touch your name so easily."


	8. Humor Me

"Hm?" Yuzawa raised her head and glanced out the classroom window.

"Is something wrong?" Shiro looked up from the paper he was grading.

"It was faint, but I thought I felt..." Yuzawa's eyes narrowed, but then she yawned and turned back to the papers sitting in front of her. "Nah, never mind. It's nothing."

Shiro wondered but didn't ask. After all, Yuzawa had been sneaking into the school after hours every since she'd been suspended. Why? To help him grade papers. He was beginning to wonder if maybe she didn't want to be outside, enjoying the weather like a normal kid. But, then again, Yuzawa was hardly normal. Sometimes he even hesitated to call her a kid.

"Hey, sensei."

"Hm?"

"You know, there's a reason there's always two."

"What? Oh, you mean the other name thing?"

"Yep." She turned to him, looking thoughtful. "You might not believe me, but I'm going to tell you anyway. You need to know. You see, two people share the same name, but they are still different. I'm Hurtful, but I'm what's referred to as the Fighter of Hurtful - Hurtful being both people. I'm the one who protects, you see? The one who shares my name will be the Sacrifice. It's kinda hard to explain, since I don't know my Sacrifice, but I've seen it with my parents. If anything happens to the Fighter, the Sacrifice gets hurt, too. Kinda like some twins do, you know? It's not something people can explain. Are you following me?"

"I...think so." Shiro nodded, but he didn't look convinced.

Yuzawa sighed. "I didn't think you'd believe me, but I had to say it. Because I think you're a Sacrifice, and without a Fighter, you're vulnerable. I've been feeling it every so often since I've got to this school. I think there are others around here like us. And if they decide to declare a battle with you, you need to know. So it's fine if you don't believe me. Just listen and remember later, ok?"

"Sure." Shiro was more than a bit confused. Not about what Yuzawa was saying - he thought he understood the whole relationship thing she was talking about - but about this whole scenario in general. He hadn't taken Yuzawa to being the type to make up weird stories or believe in fairy tales, and she was so serious, he would have listened even if she hadn't asked. Real or not, she believed what she was saying. She deserved hearing out. Because she thought he might be in danger.

A light blush colored his cheek's when he realized this was out of concern for him that she was 'making a fool of herself' by explaining this to someone she didn't think would believe it. That was touching to him. "I'm listening, Yuzawa-kun."

She gave him a light smile. "Thanks for humoring me, sensei. If someone ever does challenge you, you call me, ok? I'll fight for you."

For no reason he could identify, Shiro suddenly felt like what Yuzawa had just said was very important. "Is that...allowed? I mean, you said touching your other name was personal, so I assumed the whole relationship was..."

Yuzawa nodded slowly. "It is. I shouldn't even offer. It's...disgusting to most, repulsive. But you don't have a Fighter, and I'm worried. Even without a Sacrifice, I can handle myself. But you've never been taught. You don't even know the kind of world you've been born into. So, until you find your real Fighter, I'll fight for you. Here."

Yuzawa passed Shiro a slip of paper, and he took it tentively. Something about all this seemed so...he couldn't describe it. But somehow he just knew...that this wasn't a joke.

The paper had a phone number scrawled across it. "It's my cell." She informed him. "Normally, a Fighter would know when their Sacrifice needs them, but...this will have to do, alright?"

Shiro nodded, still unnerved by the feelings that were bobbing at the surface of his subconscious. Was this...dread? He ignored it and input the number in this phone, then called Yuzawa just to test it out. She saved his number as well.

And when it was done, Yuzawa smiled with a touch of pride and relief. "There. Now I feel a bit more at ease. Huh. I guess...that means I'm apart of Helpless for now, huh?" She glanced down at her arm, 'Hurtful' scrawled down it.

Oddly, Shiro thought the name looked a bit on the red and puffy side.


	9. Chance Collision

Monday morning, Yuzawa surprised her parents by being especially cheerful. Of course, their daughter was always on the happy side, smiling good naturedly. She may have a bit of a sarcastic sense of humor and more than a little fight in her, but Yuzawa Kanna was a good girl to her parents - and to anyone else who she gave a lick respect towards. And even though she was usually good about waking up when her mother knocked, eating a quick breakfast with her family, and catching the bus on time, groggy though she still was, this morning was beyond that. Yuzawa Nana knocked on her daughter's door, only to open it to an empty room. Yuzawa Kosuke came down to breakfast to find not his wife, but his daughter, laying out a full spread onto the table.

Both Nana and Kosuke stood in the doorway in wonder. "Um, Kanna-chan?" Her father asked uneasily. "Are you...feeling alright?"

Yuzawa gave her parents a big smile. "I feel great! I made breakfast."

"We can see that, sweetheart." Her mother replied with a confused smile. "We were just wondering why."

Yuzawa's happiness was so apparent that she practically glowed. "I'm not suspended anymore - I get to go back to school today!"

Her parents were stunned. Their daughter, who had failed the year before because she never cared enough to go to class, was _this _excited about being allowed back at school?

"Honey, why do you like this school so much?" Her mother asked.

Yuzawa only smiled at the two of them.

Yuzawa was still all smiles as she walked easily down the hallway, headed for class. After being away for a week - and yet not technically away, as she snuck in after hours, anyway - she was excited to see for herself how the class was behaving towards Asagi-sensei instead of just hearing about it from him. She got the feeling that he'd be thoroughly pleased if they merely stopped commenting on his ears, but to Yuzawa that still wasn't behaving. She wanted to make sure that they obeyed him properly.

"Omf!"

"Hm?" Yuzawa staggered sideways a step as a girl about her height tripped into her.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" The girl cried earnestly, her pink pigtails bouncing with her anxiety.

Yuzawa didn't recognize her and was in too good of a mood to be upset. "No problem, don't worry about it."

"Yuiko, you should be more careful."

Yuzawa glanced at the newcomer, addressing the pink haired girl, and felt a shock go through her that immediately set her on edge. This boy was shorter than 'Yuiko,' with short dark hair and a stoic face. Both of these two had their ears and tails, but the boy -

The boy had a shimmering gossamer thread swirling about him.

Yuzawa shook her head. When she opened her eyes again, the thread was gone. But she knew what it had meant. She'd always been able to see the threads the first time she met someone that was...like _her_. Like her and Asagi-sensei. That is, as long as that person had fought a spell battle before. This kid was experienced.

"Hm?" He finally seemed to notice Yuzawa's hard look analyzing him. "Something wrong?"

Before Yuzawa could answer, the bell sounded.

"Ah! Come one, Ritsuka-kun! We're gonna be late!" And with that, the pink haired girl grabbed hold of the boy, 'Ritsuka,' and started pulling him down the hall in the opposite direction that Yuzawa was headed.

"Yuiko! Stop pulling so hard, that hurts!"

Yuzawa watched them go until they disappeared into a classroom. It didn't seem like the boy had realized that she was a Fighter, and Yuzawa got the feeling he was probably the Sacrifice, anyway. Usually it was easy to tell which was which. Deciding he probably wasn't a threat (at least at the moment), Yuzawa turned and rushed to class, wondering just where her good mood had went.


	10. Intentions

To Yuzawa's utter delight, the day went almost perfect after that. The whole class seemed to have learned to listen to Asagi-sensei even without her around to help, and they were studying a period in history she thoroughly enjoyed. Yuzawa loved history.

She'd been left alone to eat her lunch in peace, she hadn't missed any major assignments while she was out (and she got the feeling that that was no accident), and Higushi Mitsuko never set foot in the middle school building that day. All in all, things seemed to be just wonderful, even with meeting a Sacrifice in her own school that morning.

And speaking of Ritsuka, she spotted him racing across the grounds from her window once classes were over. She was staying behind to help grade while the other students filed out. Ritsuka, followed by that Yuiko girl, ran up to the school gate, apparently to meet someone.

A man was standing there, tall and lanky but still fit, with shoulder length hair that seemed to be a light brown from where Yuzawa was standing. And he had a thread shimmering around him. But...his thread...there was something wrong with it. But before Yuzawa could place what exactly was making her cringe away from that man and his thread, it faded from her sight.

But she was able to gather one thing before the thread vanished: it wasn't tied to Ritsuka.

"Hey, Asagi-sensei."

"Yes?" Shiro looked up from his desk, where he'd been sorting which papers he wanted Yuzawa to take. But he frowned when he saw she wasn't looking at him, but out the window.

"I need to go talk to someone real quick, ok? I'll come right back up."

"Oh. Alright." Shiro tried not to let his confusion - and then his hurt - show as Yuzawa turned around and jogged from the room without giving him so much as a passing glance.

Yuzawa barely caught up with them as they rounded the corner leaving the school. Yuiko wasn't with the two any more, but that didn't matter to her. "Hey! State your names and purpose!"

Ritsuka and the man turned, stopping just as she did. "Hm? Oh, you're that girl from this morning. If you're mad at Yuiko-"

"She's not here for Yuiko, Ritsuka." The man interrupted. "We are Loveless."

Yuzawa glared at him. "No, you're not. You're not connected to eachother. What are you're names, and why were you at my school?"

The boy flinched at Yuzawa's words, but the man seemed unphased. "Ritsuka attends that school. And we _are_ Loveless. I am Ritsuka's Fighter Unit."

"No, you're not. You're lying. You are not connected to the boy." Yuzawa barked, aggrevated. What was the point of his lies?

"Then what is your name?" He countered. "Rude to ask and not give."

"I am Hu-" Shiro's face flooded Yuzawa's mind, and suddenly she wasn't sure. Should she say she was Helpless and risk involving him, or say she was Hurtful and break her promise to be Helpless with him? Suddenly, Yuzawa realized she was speaking again, without having come to a decision consciously. "I am Helpless."

The burning of protest began to prickle down her left arm, but she ignored it. Her name was wrapped in bandages and hidden beneath a long sleeved shirt, just as it had been since she'd become Helpless.

The man smirked. "Now, how can you call me a liar when you aren't being entirely truthful, either? But then again, the statement is true as well, isn't it? You are Helpless, and yet not. I am Loveless, and yet not."

Yuzawa gulped and conceded silently. "So you have no ill intent on other units? You are at the school only because one of you attends?"

"That's right!" Ritsuka snapped, seemingly annoyed at being left out of the conversation. "We don't want to fight unless you're with Septimal Moon!"

"Septimal Moon?" Yuzawa repeated. "What the heck is that?"

Ritsuka seemed to lighten up at Yuzawa's question. "If you don't know, then we don't want any trouble."

"Alright then, I guess." Yuzawa wasn't exactly happy with this outcome, but as long as they weren't a threat to Shiro, she was willing to let this go. "Sorry to bother you."

"It's no problem. You were just worried about your Sacrifice, is all." The man surprised Yuzawa by hitting the nail on the head. "I'd do the same for Ritsuka if I ran into a strange unit a bit too close to home."

"Soubi!" Ritsuka tugged on the man's arm angrily. "You're not supposed to fight without me! You promised!"

"I wouldn't go looking for a fight, I would just be sizing up a potential opponent. Right, Helpless Fighter?"

Yuzawa nodded, not wanting to upset Ritsuka. She got the feeling that, if Shiro really understood the situation and believed her, he'd act a bit like Ritsuka was. In reality - and she was sure Soubi would do the same - she would have tried to eliminate any threat.

When Yuzawa slid the door to the classroom open, Shiro immediately rose from his desk with a relieved smile. Then he seemed to get a hold of himself and tried to shuffle papers and make it look more nonchalant. Immediately, Yuzawa felt a smile creep up.


	11. Beginings

Setting down his chalk, Shiro took a moment to massage his temples, which had suddenly sent a zapping sensation through his head moments before.

But he hadn't been rubbing for five seconds when he realized there was a commotion in the room. Turning around, he found Yuzawa standing strait up, staring out the window with a rather alert look on her face. The whole room was watching her.

"Yuzawa-kun, is something wrong?"

Blinking slowly, she nodded, her attention now on her teacher. "You have a headache."

"Well, yes, but-"

Yuzawa cut off his oncoming "how did you know that?" and instead plowed forward with her words. "You should probably go to the infirmary, then. Get some medicine. You get bad migraines, don't you?"

He didn't, but the look she was sending him said clearly that now was not the time to be honest. Wondering what on earth was going on, but never the less trusting Yuzawa that this was important, he nodded in agreement. "You're right."

She began to head to the front of the classroom. "I'll go and fetch another teacher to watch the class while you're gone."

"Alright. Thank you, Yuzawa-kun." So they stepped out of the room together.

The remaining students glanced around at eachother.

"Did any of you guys buy that?"

"Nope."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yuzawa-kun? What's going on?" Shiro asked easily as he followed her down the stairs.

Yuzawa didn't even glance back to answer. "That sharp pain in your temples? Someone within our area has declared a battle with us. We have to find where they set up the barrier."

"Wait - how could we feel that from so far away? And do you mean we're seriously going to fight?!"

Yuzawa nodded, pausing long enough to grab hold of Shiro's hand and pull him along faster. "Honestly, I don't know exactly how it works. Something about our brains being sensitive to a certain electrical energy we all generate. Does that make sense?"

"As much as any of this does." Shiro cringed, wondering if he was going to need 'Kuro' for this battle. Then it occurred to him how readily he had agreed to this, and accepted the fact that there was going to be a battle. Hadn't this all been him just humoring a girl's story? But no, something inside him was already growing nervous with anticipation. He believed her, with the shadow of a doubt.

And suddenly he was scared. Not for himself – well, for himself, yeah – but more for Yuzawa. Because, though she might very well be a deliquent and an experienced fighter, who she fought against were just other teenagers. What if who they were up against was older, larger, more powerful and more experienced? Shiro didn't have the slightest idea what he was supposed to be doing, and Yuzawa was only a teenage girl, no matter how strong a face she wore.

Would he be a liability in this fight? Would she get hurt – because of him?

"If they are a ways off, then why do we even have to respond to them?" Shiro asked, jerking his arm free of Yuzawa's grip and grabbing her, pulling her to a halt. "Why do we have to fight?"

Yuzawa paused, explaining simply. "We meet them now, together, or we risk meeting them later, seperated. One way or another, a challenge is a challenge. If they want a fight, they will follow us until they get one, fair or not. I'd rather do it now and get it over with. I won't risk them going after you alone."

Shiro found that, somehow, a lump had lodged itself in his throat, preventing him from saying anything to that. Not that he would have if his throat had allowed him – his brain wasn't exactly firing on all pistons as he stared into Yuzawa's determined eyes.

When he finally got to his senses, he asked: "So what do I do?"

Yuzawa grin softly, nodding. "Nothing, really. I do all the work – you're job is to endure the damage I receive." Her expression slackened. "But don't worry about that. I don't plan on taking any damage. I won't let them hurt you."

"Hurt me? I'm more worried about you – you're the one fighting!"

Yuzawa actually looked surprised at that, and Shiro reached the conclusion that was a very cute expression for her before he could stop himself. "I appreciate that, Asagi-sensei. But you don't have to worry – we don't actually use our fists in these battles."

Turning back around, Yuzawa began pulling Shiro forward again. Almost tripping, he stumbled after her. "Then how do you fight?"


	12. Touch

Shiro's mind was having to reimagine the world as he knew it to accommodate the new facts that were bombarding his senses.

Barriers that displaced time and space.

The existence of magic.

Spell battles.

And Yuzawa...

"Defend! Deflect! Fortify! Strike! Shield!"

Yuzawa ducked back after her attacks, giving herself a moment with the temporary shield to regroup. "These guys are tougher than I thought."

"Are you going to be alright?"

Yuzawa wiped the sweat on her cheak and nodded, glancing back at Shiro. "Yeah, don't worry about that. I've never lost before, and with you here, I _can't_ lose."

He didn't know if he should take that to mean he made her stronger or if she just couldn't not protect him, but it touched him either way.

"Darn it all, though. I didn't want to have to do this, but I think I'm gonna need your help, Sensei."

"Anything, Yuzawa-kun. Tell me what to do."

She glanced at him again, and Shiro thought she looked a little red in the face.

"...since we aren't actually linked by name, physical contact should strengthen me. I need to touch you."

"That's fine – here!" Immediately, Shiro held out his hand.

She took it, but her face was still troubled. "...It's...a bit more complicated than holding hands, Asagi-sensei."

"Then what?"

"Just..." Yuzawa rolled her eyes, and then steeled herself. "Hold still, alright?"

Without giving him any time to think about that, Yuzawa dipped down to Shiro's kneeling figure – and kissed him. No peck, no simple brush – _kissed him_, pressing hard, pulling his lips to hers, taking his mouth with urgency and insistance.

One of her hands pulled his face to hers, and Shiro found himself in new and wild territory. He forgot about the two girls trying to smash through Yuzawa's barrier, about the fact he was skipping work, and about the fact the girl kissing him was his student and only a teenager.

He was swept away by her hunger.

And then he gasped as he felt Yuzawa's warm, slick fingers pull up the base of his shirt and sink between his skin and his pants.


	13. Guilt

"I am very, very sorry for my actions earlier, Asagi-sensei. While necessary at the time, they were both inapropriate and done without your consent or even you prior knowledge of what was about to happen. I appologize profusely-"

"_It's alright, Yuzawa-kun. _Please, stop appologizing – and stop bowing. This is too much."

Yuzawa raised her head from the ground enough to see Shiro's embarrassed but forgiving expression. "...still, I am sorry. Not only did I touch your name, I had to reach in your pants to do it. And then kissing you..."

Yeah, Shiro wanted desperately to forget about all of that – because he was thinking about it _way_ too much.

"I should have explained all of that before we ever had to go to battle." Yuzawa chided herself again. But at least this time she sat up, shifting position so she was indian style in the classroom floor. School was long over – Shiro had returned after the fight to teach class (after spending at least fifteen minutes in the nurses office, pacing in front of the window trying to calm himself down) while Yuzawa had opted to skip the rest of the day. She said her parents wouldn't mind since she had been in a battle, and was tired. She had looked tired. Apparently, she'd napped the rest of the day on the roof.

But now she looked annoyed at herself on top of being tired. "I should have realized that since I was concentrating on not getting hit instead of just attacking head on like I normally do, that I would need more power."

"When you fight alone, do you take damage to yourself?"

Yuzawa nodded despite looking like she wasn't listening to him, only talking to herself. "But it's physical damage, not restraints like it should be on a Sacrifice. But with you there, I couldn't just charge in like a powerhouse. I've never paid any attention to defense before because I never figured I'd have a Sacrifice to defend. I couldn't even concentrate long enough for a spell longer than two words, I was so destracted by you. I'm gonna have to rethink my battle strategies from now on. Majorly."

"Well, we won though, didn't we?" Shiro pulled out his rolly chair and took a seat, trying to cheer Yuzawa up.

"Yes. But that's only because of the physical contact strenghtening us. We definately can't do that everytime."

"N-no, definately not." Shiro tried to laugh, and stopped when even he heard the strain in it.

Yuzawa was looking up at him from beneath her bangs, and Shiro was struck at how much she looked like a puppy that knew it had done something wrong and was waiting to be punished.

"...I feel...like what I did..." Yuzawa struggled with the words for a moment, and Shiro marveled at this new side to her. He'd never seen her be indecisive about anything – she was always so sure of herself, always knew what to say. And her next works shocked him even more. "I feel like I'm no better than _that woman_! Just...just reaching to touch you like I have every right, when you haven't given any permission! Using your good heart and inexperience to overwhelm you so I can use you to my own ends! And forcing myself on you like that? I feel dirty – like I made you dirty! _And you're not even mad at me_!"

"Of course I'm not mad, Yuzawa-kun – you did it to protect me." Shiro smiled crookedly, amused at her plight. "I should be thanking you. As far as I'm concerned, everything's fine. Don't beat yourself up about it. And trust me, you're nothing like _that woman_."

Shiro knew very well that _that woman_ was Higushi Mitsuko, and it seemed so farfetched that Yuzawa was comparing herself to her. There was nothing alike between them at all.

Yuzawa was so...

Yuzawa smiled up at Shiro in relief, her smirk softened by her bright, admiring eyes. "Thanks, sensei. That means alot to me."

...beautiful.


	14. Ambush

This was definitely not appropriate. His thoughts were wandering to dangerous places, and he needed to reign them in – fast. He started ticking off reasons:

She was his student.

She was a teenager.

She wasn't his Fighter.

She wasn't interested in him, anyway.

He was thinking way to much into all this.

She had her own Sacrifice out there, somewhere.

...would she touch her Sacrifice the same way she did him?

_No_, he shook his head. _Whoever her Sacrifice was, his name would be on his arm, like hers. She wouldn't have to reach under the edge of his pants to gain more power._

_...why am I assuming her Sacrifice will be male?_

He was acting jealous, and he was growing very nervous about that. _What do I have to be jealous about? She only said she'd protect me until I found my Fighter, nothing more. ...though, I do think we've become friends..._

Shiro ran his hand through his hair, shaking himself. _Yes, my best friend is my teenage student who thinks she's my bodyguard. Asagi Shiro, you've hit new lows._

And what was even lower was Shiro wasn't even sure if '_friends_' was all she was to him in his mind. She was certainly taking a starring roll in his new dreams. The kinda dreams he'd never had before, that made him wake up in a cold sweat, jump strait into an icey shower, and then hate himself everytime he saw her – or a mirror.

_I'm in trouble - no, I'm worse than in trouble._

He massaged his temples roughly, trying (and failing) to make his mind move anywhere else. But no, everything in his life seemed to be revolving around her now, like she was the sun in his solarsystem.

_Crap, now I'm waxing poetic about her! Next thing you know I'll be writing sonnets, serenading her, brandishing swords at my rivals, and drinking poison! I'm already fighting magical battles, is Shakespeare so far off?_

_I'm loosing my mind! That has to be it!_

A slightly hysterical giggle escaped him, and he slapped his hand over his mouth to make sure no more were produced. Another teacher, seated around the table, glanced up and gave him an odd look, but went back to his papers without saying anything.

_Okay, so maybe the teacher's lounge wasn't the best place to think about this._

Nodding to himself, he awkwardly cleared his throat and stood, gathering up the papers he'd only pretended to be grading, and decided he need to go cool down. Maybe even lie down.

Depositing his pile of unfinished paperwork back in his empty classroom, Shiro made his way sluggishly down to the nurse's office.

Arriving, he let the door creak open, shuffled in, and didn't give the room even a once over as he fell face forward onto an empty sick bed.

The soft sheets and mattress beneath (while not nearly as soft as his bed at home) made him relax, and he felt the stiffness in his shoulders start to loosen. He sighed deeply.

Yes, thinking so much about this particular subject was doing more harm then good. Best to just let it alone for a bit and get some rest.

And that was just what Shiro was planning to do when he felt the weight on the bed shift. Opening his eyes, he was met with the tightly packed backside of a very curvy woman.

"Ahhhhh!" With a scream he was ashamed was rather like a girl's, Shiro propelled himself from the bed and into the floor, where he continued to shuffle backwards until he collided with a filing cabinet and was subsequently showered with sharp pencils and a plastic tooth model.

Higushi Mitsuko peered across the room at him, looking rather startled.

"Shiro? Are you ok?" She regained her composure quickly and sprung on the chance to be the sexy nurse, squirming in her three-sizes-too-small mini-skirt and high heels to scamper to his side. He could practically hear squeaking, her legs were rubbing together so tightly.

_Not good not good not good-_

Panic was setting in as he realized that the infirmary was empty except for the blond bimbo siddling up next to him.

_My purity is in danger!_ He thought in fear, and then cringed with the dawning of how unmanly that sounded. But that wasn't what was important right now! _Dang it dang it dang it! _

Mitsuko was leaning closer to him, having sat down at his side. She was being very careful to push her breasts up into full view as she feigned concern, and the white, roud flesh was making it very, very hard for Shiro to think straight. He didn't like this woman, _at all_, but he was a _man_, darn it all, and this situation was _not_ going to go in his favor.

Mitsuko was talking, but he wasn't hearing a word she was saying. Instead, he was leaning sideways, as far from the oncoming mamory glands as possible. And, because he wasn't paying attention, he ended up just falling sideways onto the tile, putting him in an even worse position as Mitsuko took the opportunity to climb on top of him.

She was grinning like a cat who'd caught a mouse, and Shiro felt the last of his blood drain from his face as her sensual figure towered over him, casting him into shadow.

His mind went blank, all except for one word:

_Yuzawa._


	15. Wrong

_Yuzawa._

Cocking her head to the side, Yuzawa paused, listening.

But it was hard to hear anything else when her mother was yapping away, giddily, at her side.

"...and then, he swept me up into his arms and JUMPED!" She squeeled, shocking her daughter by miming the action, and shaking the counter they were standing at. The younger Yuzawa stared warily at the large knife in her mother's hands and the starry look in her eyes. Yes, her mother was lost in some romantic memory, and not paying a lick of attention to what she was supposed to be doing – which was cleaning fish.

"...That's...great, mom. Can we get back to dinner now? It's not going to cook itself."

But Yuzawa herself was slightly distracted, certain there was something she was missing. A nagging feeling had her guts twisting and her mind jumping from '_Mom is going to ruin dinner_' to '_Isn't there somewhere I should be?_'

"It's fine, it's fine," Nana replied, weilding her knife deftly at the unsuspecting corpse. And she was right, of course. She always was.

Yuzawa rolled her shoulders, fighting the tension growing inside her. She was becoming more and more away that something was wrong.

_A fight?_ No, she could feel no other units besides her parents, no barriers of any kind. _Then what...?_

"Kanna-chan? Are you alright?"

Turning to her mother, Yuzawa only stared, certain something was clicking. "...I need to go."

"Go where, honey?" But Nana's eyes, still bright and shining, watched her duaghter's with a knowing sheen.

Turning her head again, Yuzawa followed the emotional wave she felt pulse through her. Slowly, she stepped forward, and again stepped towards the door. "Out."

"Go quickly." Her mother replied with all her usual cheer, turning back to the fish. "Be back by dinner."

Yuzawa was out the door as soon as her mother was done speaking. She didn't think while she ran. She just went.

She had no thread to follow, nothing connecting her to him in the ways she was meant to be connected to her sacrifice, but she could feel him, in every fiber of her being, and she followed that rising wave of panic inside her as it weaved a path down the streets for her.

Her left arm screamed in pain and protest against the invasion that was her connection with Shiro, the abomination it was to her body. He probably couldn't feel it, wouldn't ever feel it, the rejection like she did, but that was something she would bare alone. She was fine with it. He had to bare enough pain as it was.

She jumped the school fence with ease. She was at the door before she even had time to register where she even was. And she was traveling up, up, towards the strengthening pull's source.

She burst through the doors to the nurse's office and halted, gasping for air, and threw back her shoulders.

To Shiro, she looked like an angry goddess, standing proud and tall and ready to destroy the world.

To Mitsuko, she looked like nothing but a child.

"Oh dear, this is awkward, hm?" Pulling herself off Shiro only slightly, she 'tsked' at Yuzawa, a devilish gleam in her eyes. "What are you doing here after hours, hm, Ozawa, was it? I'm afraid I'm going to have to report you – or I would, I mean, but you've caught your teachers in a bit of a testy situation. I'm sure you could just hop along home and we could both just forget this whole thing, hm? I wouldn't want you to get in trouble _again_, after all."

But through all of Mitsuko's blackmailing, Yuzawa hadn't heard a word. She was staring at Shiro's panicked face, his disheveled hair, the buttons missing from his shirt, and Mitsuko's scanty outfit.

She saw his ears, fluffy and white and folded strait down over his hair in a plain show of fear, and reached for Mitsuko.


End file.
